Chapter 18 (1/2)
Shopping With The Sisters
The core principle of poetry was the usage of level and oblique tones.
As long as the same principle applied, Xu Qian’s nine years of education from the future would give him an edge.
Xu Xinnian glanced at Xu Qian and raised his chin. “A bird in the sky, a worm on the ground, the bird swooped down, the worm flew up.”
Xu Lingyue covered her mouth as she giggled. Xu Qian glared at her and she looked down, her cheeks pink.
‘I want to punch him for spitting such poison…’ Xu Qian gritted his teeth. The poem was written by the host when he was ten years old. That year, his aunt’s father had come to teach the children the basics of literature.
The topic of poetry was touched upon and thus the ridiculous poem was born.
Li Ru said mockingly, “Ningyan, not that I want to look down on you but the Xu family only birthed one scholar and that is Little Nian. You and your uncle’s penmanship can be equated to a squiggly worm. You want to craft a poem when you can’t produce a legible writing?”
She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as a noblewoman would.
Xu Pingzhi coughed awkwardly. “Ningyan, let’s not interfere with the scholar’s affairs. Today is an off day, let’s train in the courtyard.”
His words were a discouragement to Xu Qian, effectively telling him to stay out of the scholar’s business lest he embarrassed his uncle.
Xu Qian said nonchalantly, “Thousand miles of yellow clouds darken the day.”
His aunt rolled her eyes and ate her porridge.
His uncle wiped away the stains on his youngest daughter’s lips.
Xu Xinnian frowned. A single sentence was not poetry but he was surprised Xu Qian could come up with such a proper
seven-character sentence
.
“The north wind stirs the geese and snow.”
The line evoked a strong imagery in Xu Xinnian’s mind. He was stunned.
Xu Lingyue raised her head. Her soulful eyes were transfixed on her cousin.
Xu Qian picked up his bowl of porridge and kept his lips sealed.
“What’s the continuation?” Xu Xinnian asked. This was akin to a storyteller stopping at the climax of the story, a cliffhanger for everyone at the teahouse. Tune in for the next episode to know more.
It was incredibly frustrating.
“I don’t know how to compose poems.” Xu Qian threw a fleeting look at his aunt. She was a dignified woman with no intentions of apologizing.
Li Ru’s animated eyes widened as she turned to Xu Xinnian and asked, “Is the poem good?”
Xu Lingyue replied softly, “It has an artistic flair to it.”
She had limited access to education but she could tell the poem was superb.
Xu Pingzhi was surprised by his children’s responses. He turned to look at Xu Qian with a glint of hope and expectation in his eye.
Xu Qian chewed on his breadstick and effortlessly recited the last two lines of the poem. “Fear not a journey of loneliness, for you are not a stranger to the realm.”
The chopsticks in Xu Xinnian’s hand fell onto the table.
He repeated the lines and felt himself being enchanted by the poem’s meaning.
Xu Lingyue shuddered as goosebumps appeared on the back of her hand.
Xu Pingzhi bit his lip and said, “Man, the poem gave me the chills.”
Li Ru was in concordance with her husband but a part of her still disapproved of Xu Qian.
Poetry could elicit a reaction even in those outside the craft. One did not need to know about the level and oblique tones to appreciate the beauty of a poem that had been passed on for centuries.
Xu Qian understood their wonderment as he was once similarly taken aback by the rich poetry that filled his language textbook.
“Thousand miles of yellow clouds darken the day. The north wind stirs the geese and snow. Fear not a journey of loneliness, for you are not a stranger to the realm.”
Xu Xinnian rose from his seat as a red blush colored his cheeks. The color made the handsome young man look charming.
The poem was exceptional!